Monday, November 10, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Three GNAC men’s soccer teams have made the field of 35 for the NCAA soccer tournament and one will make the regional championship game.

GNAC champion Seattle Pacific, which has been ranked in the Top 10 in the nation since mid-September, earned a No. 1 seed and will host the winner of a game between Northwest Nazarene and Simon Fraser Saturday at 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.

Northwest Nazarene was given a No. 4 seed and Simon Fraser was selected as the fifth seed and those two will play each other in the first round Thursday at 3 p.m., also at Interbay.

Saturday's winner will advance to the regional championship game Nov. 20 or 21.

A GNAC school will either face sixth seed UC San Diego, third seed Cal State Los Angeles or second seed Azusa Pacific in the regional championship game held at the highest remaining seed.

The third round and the quarterfinals will be held Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 or Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 and the national semifinals and finals will be played in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 4 and Dec. 6.

Northwest Nazarene and Simon Fraser split their regular season matches this year, each winning on the opponents pitch.

SPU is 15-1-2 overall and broke the school record for consecutive wins earlier in the season with 13. Its only loss of the season came on the road against Northwest Nazarene.

The Crusaders, 14-3-1 overall, were ranked for the first time ever this season with the 22nd ranking in October.

The Clan is on a six-game win streak and has only lost once in their last 9 matches. SFU takes an 11-4-2 overall record into the NCAA tournament where it has finished as a national semifinalist for the last two seasons.

At Seattle: Thursday - #4 Northwest Nazarene (14-3-1) vs. #5 Simon Fraser (11-4-2), 3 p.m. Saturday - NNU/SFU winner vs. #1 Seattle Pacific (15-1-2), 7 p.m.

At Azusa: Thursday - #3 Cal State L.A. (13-3-1) vs. #6 UC San Diego (9-4-5), TBA. Saturday - CSLA/UCSD winner vs. #2 Azusa Pacific (14-2), TBA.